Duane Roderick Lynch, 38, of Port Charlotte, was sentenced for his crimes involving a shooting in a residential neighborhood in Charlotte County. He was found guilty of the
following charges at trial in October, and was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon with the Special Verdict Finding that the defendant did Possess and Discharge a Firearm: 20 years in prison, to be served as a minimum/mandatory sentence.
Count 2: Shooting at/within or Into a Dwelling/Building: 15 years in prison
Count 3: Possession of a Firearm, Ammunition, or Concealed Weapon by a Convicted Felon with the Special Verdict Finding that the defendant did Possess a Firearm: 15 years in prison with 3 years to be served as a minimum/mandatory sentence.
The sentences in count 1 and count 3 are concurrent. The sentences in count 1 and count 2 are to be served consecutively, which total 35 years in prison. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the victims or witnesses and pay fines to the Domestic Violence Trust Fund.
In 2019, Lynch drove his pick-up truck recklessly down a residential street where children and adults were playing basketball. Some adults yelled at him to slow down, so he parked his truck, and confronted them. He pulled a gun out of his waistband, waved it around, then walked back to his truck. He then drove by the group, firing out of his window.
One man was shot in the leg and a nearby house was hit more than 10 times by bullets. Lynch then drove off. Witnesses took a photo of the truck and were able to identify him to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, leading to his arrest.
Assistant State Attorney Caitlin Sorenson and Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Garczewski prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office